I was recently speaking to my brother-in-law about my last post; Know Your Rights. He posed a very good question about why police officers ask you to signing a ticket after they issue it to you. I didn't have an answer for him then but I felt it was a very good question, so I looked it up.A traffic ticket is a summons to appear in court. By signing the citation, you are not admitting guilt. By signing, you are saying you will appear in court on the date indicated on the citation to defend yourself against the charge. In a sense, the signature works as an 'Own Recognisance' bond, if you refuse to sign, you can be arrested. You are then presenting yourself, to the court, in lieu of presenting a signature. You can avoid court by, pleading guilty and, paying the fine in advance.
If you feel that a police officer is violating your rights, do not get confrontational with them; file a formal complaint, sight their actions to the court or file a motion to dismiss any charges brought against you. In any case, any grievance you have, with a police officer, should be argued in court; and never on the side of the road.
2 comments:
You are quoting the drivel that comes directly from the Maryland Judiciary's publications...mind you, arguing with an officer is usually a one-way 'ticket' to central booking; however, it is also a great source of business for the criminal defense bar. So shhh, dont spoil it for us!
Besides, with the new "e-tix" they are using( http://www.mdcourts.gov/district/forms/web-payment-8x11.pdf )signatures are no longer required.
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